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Stephen King's 'Doctor Sleep' reigns on USA TODAY's book list

Here's a look at what's buzzing in the book world today: King of the list: It took Stephen King more than three decades to say he was ready and able to write a sequel to The Shining, one of his scariest novels

King of the list: It took Stephen King more than three decades to say he was ready and able to write a sequel to The Shining, one of his scariest novels. That sequel, Doctor Sleep, lands on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list at No. 1 and propels The Shining, released in 1977, up to No. 25. Doctor Sleep is King's seventh book to land at No. 1 since 1998. But don't look for another sequel from the master of literary horror. King tells USA TODAY that Doctor Sleep will be "my first and only solo sequel." King and Peter Straub collaborated on Black House in 2001, a sequel to their 1984 suspense/fantasy, The Talisman. — Bob Minzesheimer

'Killing' 'em: Bill O'Reilly delayed his usual media blitz for Killing Jesus, co-written with Martin Dugard, which lands at No. 2. O'Reilly's first appearance was on the season premiere of 60 Minutes Sunday night — five days after the book's release. He has continued promoting it this week, with scheduled appearances on three Fox News shows (including his own, The O'Reilly Factor), Today, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and The View. O'Reilly and Dugard's Killing Lincoln (2011) and Killing Kennedy (2012) both landed at No. 3. — Jocelyn McClurg

Merry Christmas? Halloween is weeks away, but it's already Christmas on USA TODAY's list. Two new holiday romances land in the top 50: Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery at No. 15 and A Seaside Christmas by Sherryl Woods at No. 48. In Woods' novel, a songwriter with a broken heart heads home for the holidays. And in Mallery's romance, Noelle Perkins opens a Christmas shop in Fool's Gold. More holiday titles are coming, among them Starry Night (Ballantine) by Debbie Macomber, due Tuesday. — McClurg

New in paperback: Books editor Jocelyn McClurg selects the hottest new paperbacks on sale now, including National Book Award winner The Round House by Louise Erdrich and Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Remembering Tom Clancy: Author Tom Clancy, the author who "mesmerized millions of readers with well-researched thrillers in which he described weapons down to their cylinder bore," died Oct. 1 at 66, inspiring tributes from authors, readers and unlikely friends. Pat Conroy told USA TODAY that Clancy "was my father's favorite novelist, maybe the only novelist ever discussed." Alan Cheuse writes an appreciation at NPR, and on Buzzfeed, Adam Sharp tells the story of how he became an unlikely pen pal with Clancy after they met in an AOL chat room. And celebrities like Larry King, Patton Oswalt and Alec Baldwin took to Twitter to express their condolences.

Crichton thrillers: Another techno-thriller titan who died young, Michael Crichton, is in the news today. Hard Case Crime has announced that it will publish eight suspense novels written by Crichton between 1966 and 1972 under the pseudonym John Lange. Crichton died in 2008, also at age 66.

Stieg Larsson story: In August, USA TODAY reported that a short story by the late Stieg Larsson would be published in a crime fiction anthology, A Darker Shade of Sweden. More details are coming out: the story, written by a 17-year-old Larsson, is titled "Brain Power," and will be released Jan. 7, 2014.